Moments between Missions
by Leprechaun123
Summary: Lily and James are agents partnered together - AU
1. Chapter 1

This is random but it came as an idea when looking for prompts on Tumblr. Basically speaking, it'll be short stories all connected with some sort of timeline, I guess (*I hope). I was going to say that this was my first Jily fic but really, it's my first Jily fic in about five years. I'm only getting to know these characters so keep that in mind! Most of all enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters. They belong to JK Rowling. I just place them into odd situations.

Lily Evans. Red hair, green eyes, eruptive personality. That's the words her friends; her parents and even her cat (if he could talk) use to describe her. Her boss uses words like "hard-working"; her targets say "terrifying". At least they do before they spill their guts (or have them spilled for them.) The transfer to MI6's London division from Edinburgh was an abrupt but not unexpected move. Everybody knew if anyone would get the chance to go, it would be Lily. So, two weeks ago, an envelope landed on her desk requesting her immediate presence in London, a flat and a job awaiting her, **(** **no objections).** No objections were made. As lovely as Edinburgh was, it held too many bad memories and it was time for a change. So, twenty-five years old and after the move, Lily is now here. London. About to start her first day (and meet her new partner. Although that part she is less aware of)

So, this is MI6? Looks like a children's playpen. Lily looked around the room in mild disgust. People swarmed all over the room. A petite, short-haired blonde sat cross-legged on a desk with a file in her hand, gesturing wildly to the brown-haired man leaning on the desk beside her. An amused, fond smile graced his face as his partner became even more animated. Just across from them, a basketball net was placed above rubbish bin, an onslaught of paper balls and planes being chucked at it. The occasional cheer rose as the paper met its intended target. Stress balls and tennis balls bounced against walls and flew across the room as people tossed them up and between them. Rousing Lily from her musings, a low flying rugby ball narrowly missed hitting Lily in the head.

"Heads up! Bad throw, Peter" a voice shouted, about thirty seconds too late. Lily scowled at the owner of the voice who was trotting over towards her. The handsome face was surrounded by long shaggy black hair that bounced as he moved. His long jean-clad legs stretched out from a muscled chest covered by a tight black t-shirt. A quick once-over of him gave Lily the information she needed. He was good-looking, definitely wasn't someone she'd kick out of bed for eating crisps in it. However, Lily's annoyance outweighed her appreciation of the opposite sex. She crossed her arms and adopted her "no nonsense" glare. The handsome man grinned and held out his hand. She glanced at his hand and raised an eyebrow.

"This is the part where you shake it, love!" He waggled his hand "Sirius Black, how may I help such a lovely lady"

"You could not throw a rugby ball at my head" Lily grimaced. Sirius's hand dropped.

"I feel I know you from somewhere." Sirius tilted his head, adopting the look of a dog who can't find the ball you haven't thrown yet. His voice lowered. "We didn't sleep together, did we?"

Lily took a step back and her face scrunched up in disgust. "No! You must sleep with a lot of people if you can't remember who you've slept with."

"I think I would remember you. Your hair is certainly bright enough" Sirius commented with an appraising eye towards her.

"Ok. Moving on. Do you…"

"Lily Evans?" Lily was interrupted by the arrival of a sandy-haired bean-pole.

"Yes?"

"Remus Lupin" The bean-pole introduced himself and shook her hand. "I got told to keep an eye out for you and direct you towards the director's office. Don't mind Sirius. He can be easily ignored after a little while." Remus said as he cuffed Sirius over the back of the head.

"Or you can do that and he retreats" he added as Sirius scowled at Remus and slunk back towards his desk. "He's harmless really. Just a little bit overfriendly. Come on, I'll show McGonagall's office" Remus moved further into the room and started to point out different items of interest as they walked through.

"That's the kitchen. Don't go near it on a Tuesday. Someone in HR always brings in fish pie. Smells awful! That's the meeting room. If you're ever called in there, it was nice knowing you. Bathroom… oh wait no… okay, bathroom's there. You can use the other if you want but I wouldn't. Not unless you have a hidden talent!" Lily followed Remus past each place and tried to remember each position for to go back to when needed.

"And finally, the director's office." Remus announced with a sweep of his arm just as a crash sounded behind the door. He winced and knocked.

"Come in" a sharp voice called. Remus slowly opened the door and went "Lily, ma'am" and then retreated. Lily timidly stepped into the room. A chair lay on its back, surrounded by scattered papers in front of a large desk.

"Hello?"

A tall, thin woman in wire-framed glasses moved her gaze from the back that was facing her and looked towards the door. She smiled and stood up from behind the elegant, polished, oak-wood desk. She moved around the desk with purpose.

"Lily, it's nice to meet you. I've heard a lot about you from your superiors. You came highly recommended. Director Minerva McGonagall." She stretched her hand out to shake Lily's. "This is Special Agent James Potter" she said, gesturing to the stiff back that still faced them. The dark-haired head shook slightly before his shoulders dropped and with his chin pointed up, James turned to face the two women. "You'll get to know him well. He's your new partner."

"I don't need a partner. And even if I did, why the new girl? Why not Remus?" James retorted.

"Until you stop nearly getting yourself killed, you're getting a partner. And Agent Lupin is paired with Black. He doesn't need to look after two of you. One more argument and you're being put on desk duty." Lily watched the argument like a tennis match. She had a feeling that this wasn't the first disagreement that they'd had over her presence. She shifted awkwardly and bounced from foot to foot. McGonagall's stern gaze dared James to put up a fight. Finally, James let out a big sigh and stepped towards Lily.

"Nice to meet you. Now if you excuse me, I have paperwork to do" He said shortly. McGonagall halted him with a stiff arm placed in front of him.

"Your paperwork can wait. You and Lily have a training session in a half an hour. Show Lily where her desk is. Agent Black's desk was manoeuvred around to fit Lily's in between yours and his. And play nice" With a huff, James glanced at his papers and then walked out of the room. Lily raised her eyebrows at McGonagall before scurrying after the irate agent.

"I don't need a partner." She heard James muttering to himself as she caught up with him.

"Maybe not but I'm here so you could make me feel a little bit welcome." She retorted.

"Sorry. I'm just pissed. I promise I'm usually nicer!" James sighed. "Just give me a little time"

"How many first impressions are you looking for? Because the first one didn't go well" James raised an eyebrow at here and halted at an ordinary looking metal desk with a rolling desk chair.

"This is yours. Sirius is that side. I'm here. Remus is the hidden desk in the corner. I'll be back before the training session for to show you where to go." With that, James turned on his heel and practically ran from the room.

With a puff of breath, Lily dropped into her chair and leaned back. With a slight spin, she studied the room and its occupants.

"This could take a while to get used to but it's going to be fun"

Review please. All criticism is appreciated but don't be cruel. It'll jump and won't be a smooth journey but it could be interesting


	2. Chapter 2

A.N: So, it's been a while since I've written anything. I spent my summer working to earn money for university and I didn't have time to write. I pulled up what I had written of this chapter before the summer and realised that half of it got deleted so this is the rewrite. Not sure whether it was better this time or the previous version.

Prompt:

"You're not helping"  
"I'm not trying"

Disclaimer: Still don't own it.

Lily swung herself around in the chair, examining every corner of the office. Unknown to her, the guy beside her was watching her, questioning where he knew her from. After several spins in the chair, Lily twisted herself around to face the desk and sort out some of the belongings she brought with her to make it homely.

"Lily, right?" The scruffy-haired beauty asked. Her head tilted to his direction.

"Yes?"

"You sure we haven't slept together?" Lily's face wrinkled in disgust.

"Certain." She moved her attention back to her bag where she pulled out her notebooks and pens. She tossed the pens into the metal container perched on the edge of her desk. She repositioned herself and nodded in satisfaction. Grabbing a paperclip from her bag, she began to play with it.

"Then where do I know you from?" Sirius propped his feet up on his desk and leaned back into his chair. "I know your face from somewhere." He crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes, staring unblinkingly at her.

"From the folder that was given to everyone on her, so we knew who she was and didn't attempt to shoot her for coming in here" A voice piped up from behind Lily. She rotated her chair towards Remus who was bent over his desk, scribbling notes on a piece of paper.

"There was a folder given out on me?" Lily asked.

"Yes, there always is for new agents. London policy" Remus answered without removing his attention from the files in front of him. Lily nodded, fiddling with the paperclip.

"So, everyone knows who I am?"

"Yep, and most of us are happy to meet you. James will warm up to you, I'm sure." Lily raised a disbelieving eyebrow.

"Are you sure? Because he looks like he wants to kill me right now!"

"I don't want to kill you. I just don't need a babysitter. Now downstairs for training. Remus and Sirius, you two are coming as well." James's deep tones rang from over Lily's shoulder. Lily stood up from her chair.

"Well, I'm not being paid to babysit so how about a partner?" Lily reached out her hand in a truce. James glanced at it before turning on his heel and heading towards the training room.

"I don't need one of them either." He called over his shoulder. Lily's mouth tightened into a straight line.

"Like we said, he'll come around" Remus stated as he walked past.

"C'mon kid" Sirius smiled as he slung an arm over Lily's shoulders. He directed her towards two large metal doors which James and Remus had disappeared through. He pushed one door open and using the arm that was still around her, urged her to follow in their footsteps. "Welcome to Hogwarts" Lily walked through the door and gasped.

Laid out in front of her was the largest, most elaborate training centre she had ever seen. It was shaped like a castle, with vines curling their way up the walls around certain bricks that stuck out like footholds on a climbing wall. From Lily's vantage point, she could see the halls and rooms that were positioned on different levels. A wooden box sat in the middle of the arena atop a pedestal with a brown bag on top of it. There were shortcuts that Lily could see no entrance to along with rooms that provided different hidey-holes. Lily studied the building to try and find the entrance point but couldn't place it.

"Hey… short stuff! Come on, weapons room is this way" Sirius pointed down the stairs beside him to a door at the bottom. Still a bit shell-shocked, Lily followed him down the stairs and entered the room. It was filled with weapons of all shapes and sizes; guns of various calibres littered the shelves while knives and grenade-like objects filled bins that were placed under rows of bullet-proof vests, weapon belts and helmets. James and Remus were already suiting up and attaching random weapons to their belts. Lily ventured around the room scanning all the different pieces of equipment; her hand brushed against the cold metal of the barrels and the worn leather of the knife cases. "Oy" Sirius's voice broke her concentration just before a piece of Kevlar material hit her in the face. The shock of it knocked Lily back a pace or two.

"Really? You couldn't have just handed it to me?" Lily snarked as she put on the bulletproof vest.

"I didn't want to move" Sirius shrugged. "Did James explain how this works?" Lily shook her head. "JAMES! Explain how this works to the poor girl!" James jumped at the shout of his name. One look at Lily's confused face and he let out a sigh, tousling his hair with his hand.

"The guns aren't real. They're paintball guns. You can take as many as you want in any size but just be aware that if you take many, you'll weigh yourself down! The knives are real but blunt, so they won't do too much damage. There's an assortment of smoke bombs, nothing that will cause proper damage to you or whoever you're aiming at. Did you get a look at the arena?" He paused while gauging her answer. At her nod, he continued. "The arena is built so that it's unique every time we train. The walls all have moving panels and only a certain number of them will open for each training session. The same goes for the doors. Only a few of the locks will disengage. The entrance doors will be in a different place for each session and there will be only two other entrances to Hogwarts that can be accessed. There is a time lock on them so once you're in, there is no getting out! It's you and me against those two. I think that's all you need to know. Now gear up"

Lily let out a large breath before making her way towards the gear belts. Strapping a leather belt around her waist, she grabbed a paintball equivalent to a Glock along with two small hand knifes and inserted them into her belt. Pursing her lips, she tilted her head and examined the smoke bombs before picking up two grenade-like objects and attaching them to her belt as well. Satisfied with her selection, she smiled and spun around to face the boys. Sirius grinned at her and clapped her on the shoulder.

"Good luck, kid. James isn't that bad a partner, I promise." Lily gave him a slightly terrified look as he let out a barking laugh. Remus' half-smile didn't really do much to solve her worries either.

"Go easy on her." Remus muttered as he passed James. After the door shut behind the two boys, she risked a glance at James. He stood with his hands on his hips, lips pursed and eyes unblinking. Lily swallowed and took a deep breath.

"C'mon" He turned on his heel and marched out the door. Lily scurried along behind him. James walked over to a red square on the floor. He stood in it and moved over enough that Lily could fit in the space as well. After a silent beat, Lily looked at James confused.

"Why are we standing in a square?" She asked.

"This is to register the amount of people in the arena now. It helps McGonagall keep track of whoever is injured, lost or not training." James explained. A countdown clock appeared on a large silver cube on the roof stating 00:15. "When the clock hits 00:00, a bell will ring and it's time to start. So are you ready?"

00:05

"Ready, partner!" Lily answered with a cheeky grin.

00:04

James gritted his teeth.

00:03

His jaw locked.

00:02

He turned his harsh gaze at Lily.

00:01

"We are not…"

00:00.

The bell rang, interrupting him. Lily smirked before gesturing to the arena.

"Well, c'mon then, let's go!" James glared at her before running towards the arena. Lily darted after him. James made it to the walls of the building and began examining them. His hands darted over each brick, quickly but firmly putting pressure on them. Lily began to copy his movements but moved in the opposite direction. After a minute or so, one of the bricks that she put pressure on shifted slightly. She gasped and whistled softly for James. Upon hearing her, he returned to her side as she was pushing on the brick.

"It seems stuck. I can't get it any further." James put his hand beside hers and gave it a firm shove. The brick clicked and a section of the wall beside them opened, revealing a dark passageway.

"Nice going." James nodded at her and then entered the opening. She followed him, her eyes taking a moment to adjust to the lack of light. Coming to grips with the darkness, she made out the shape of James in front of her. She kept a steady pace behind him when suddenly, he darted to the left. Lily stopped in confusion as he had just disappeared, and she couldn't see where he had vanished to. While she stood in bewilderment, an arm reappeared and yanked her into the wall. She stumbled forward until she hit what appeared to be another wall, putting her hand up to stop herself. As she realised that the wall was breathing underneath her hand, she glanced up to find James standing unamused, with one of her hands on his chest. She dropped her hand.

"Sorry" She apologised. "But in my defence, you're not helping when you disappear like that" she glared at him.

"I'm not trying to help. I'm trying to win." James snarled back. "Now come on, and don't get lost. Again." He turned and moved silently but quickly down the small opening. They entered an empty room. Lily looked around and studied the pieces that were scattered throughout the room, trying to place the room in the maze. James coughed to get her attention. She looked over at him as he pointed at the door. Behind muffled voices could be heard. She crept over towards an overturned desk and crouched down behind it. She made sure her paintball gun was fully loaded and then looked for something small to catch their attention. She indicated to James to get himself hidden. He gave her a puzzled look, but she just gestured again. He huffed but got behind a second desk. Lily found a small stone and chucked it at the door. The voices halted. Slowly, footsteps got closer to the door and the handle turned excruciatingly slowly. She readied herself for to shoot whoever came through the door. The door opened and Sirius stood in the entrance. Two rounds fired off, both from Lily's gun. They hit him square in the chest. Sirius gasped in pain.

"Sheesh, kid. That was cruel." He complained as he examined the paint splatters. "Well done though." James let a smile out slightly from his position before dropping his face and emerging from his hideaway. He nodded at Lily and indicated for her to follow him. He poked his head out and noticing an empty corridor, crept out towards the right. He skulked down the corridor. Lily followed along behind, her gun still clutched in her hand. Turning a corner, the pedestal came into view. James went to finish the training session, but Lily sensed something was off. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw movement. A flash of light indicated the metal of a gun. She grabbed the back of James's vest with one hand and pulled him back, knocking him off balance. Then quick as a flash, she fired off two shots. James glared at her from the ground.

"Shooting at nothingness?" He quipped. As he finished, Remus appeared with his hands up and two paintball marks on his vest. James raised an eyebrow before getting up and dusting himself off. He stepped forward and went to pick up the bag.

"Don't lift that" Lily shouted.

"Why?" James asked, his hand hovering over the bag.

"Because it's on a weight release. You remove that bag, and something will go off. What's in the bag?"

"A lead bar, if I remember correctly." James shrugged his shoulders. Lily bit her lip before removing the two knives from her belt. Each weighed a considerable amount and together they would do the trick.

"Okay" She moved to stand beside him. "On the count of three, remove the bag. One,"

"Two,"

"Three" Quick as lightening, James removed the bag and Lily placed the knives on the pedestal. Together, they held their breath and waited. After a few seconds, the walls of Hogwarts dropped. The training session was over. Lily grinned and turned to James.

"Still think you don't need a partner" she asked with a cheeky grin.

"No, I don't." He pushed past her before getting stopped by Sirius.

"At least say thank you for not getting you shot" He reprimanded. James glared at him before taking a deep breath. Without turning around, he said through gritted teeth,

"Thank you"

"For?" Sirius pressed, mirth dancing in his eyes.

"Shove off, Sirius" James snapped as he left the arena to return his equipment. Sirius's barking laugh followed him.

"Well done, kid. Nice shooting." Sirius smiled at Lily, offering a high-five. With a little jump, she slapped his hand.

"Why, thank you" She grinned.

"If that's what you're like in training, I wonder what you're like on a mission!" Sirius stated as he flung his arm over her shoulder. Lily laughed.

"Just be glad you're on my side" She quipped. Sirius let out a barking laugh.

"Oh, I am." He said as he let go of her to return his equipment. Lily followed his example and returned all her gear. The four of them tracked out of the weapons room and went to go back out of the practise area. Just before she left, Lily turned to look at Hogwarts again; returned to its former glory. She smiled. _I'm going to like MI6. Wonder what my first mission will be like._ With that, she left the arena; the large metal doors swung close behind her as Hogwarts watched another agent join the forces of MI6.

 **Finally, Chapter 2. I'm not very happy with it but it's done. For some reason, I was able to churn out later chapters, but this was just not coming together. However, it's done now.**

 **As always, Read and Review.**


	3. Chapter 3

**This sort of continues on from the last chapter with a time jump.**

 **Prompt: Surprisingly I don't actually have one for this chapter but I had issues trying to write it and had someone tell me to find a common interest for them to bond over. This got me thinking and what developed is what you below. I guess it kind of comes from my mother always saying "The way to a man's heart is through his stomach" and while being interviewed for a job, I told them I baked in my spare time and they got really excited. (I didn't get the job though, not that of any of you really care)**

Two months had passed since Lily had moved to London. The relationship with James was still rocky although everybody else seemed to accept her. Sirius had almost immediately taken to her and Remus had warmed up to her after she pushed him on to the ground during a training session so he wouldn't get shot by the opponent. They'd even got to the point where they were discussing books that either or both of them had read. There just seemed to be something about James; he seemed determined not to like her. All day, it was cold, blank stares and indifference towards her. However, she had a plan; not just regular "be nice to him and he'll have to be nice back" plan but rather a plan that showed she wanted to get to know him. But she needed to try and get information without him getting suspicious. So she lay in wait.

It took four hours from Lily making her plan to James finally needing to leave the room. He stretched up from where he was bent over the desk, raising his arms above his head and pulling until his shoulders cracked. He then lowered his arms and moved his head from side to side until it cracked as well. Finally, he cracked his knees as he stood up out of chair. He gathered up all the paperwork that he had been writing and carried it over to the pigeon-holes before heading in the direction of the bathroom. Lily watched him until the heavy, wooden door closed behind him. She then scooted her chair towards Sirius and Remus who were playing chess, trying to decide who to ask. Reaching a decision, she pushed firmly with her foot on the ground and rolled her way over to Sirius. She placed her head on her hands where they were being propped up by her elbows on the desk.

"Sirius, my favourite agent ever" She really was laying it on thick but she needed it to work. Sirius raised his eyebrow at her as he spared a glance away from the wooden set.

"Ask what you're going to ask and then go away. I'm very busy, kid" Sirius muttered. Lily heaved a sigh. _So much for subtle._

"I need your help to get James to like me. I know only one way to a man's heart and that shall be what I'll do" Lily exclaimed. Both Remus and Sirius looked at her, bewildered.

"Are you planning on… sleeping with James?" Remus questioned, slowly. Lily's eyes widened in shock.

"NO. Food." She explained with a disgusted look on her face. "What's James's favourite flavour of cake?" The boys let out a sigh of relief and then exchanged perplexed faces.

"I'm not sure" Remus said. "I don't think I've ever seen him eat cake"

"Butterscotch and chocolate. Not together but he likes both of them" Sirius ventured a guess. "but you're right, Remus. I've never seen him eat cake."

"He definitely likes butterscotch floats though if that's any help" Remus pointed out. Sirius began to nod his head quickly.

"That is true. Forget mine, go with that one!" Lily smiled a thin smile.

"Thank you, I think." She moved back to her desk and sat with a confused look on her face. _What the heck are butterscotch floats?_

It took another two weeks before she figured out what butterscotch floats were. Evidently, it was butterscotch ice-cream soda with a spoonful of butterscotch ice-cream on top. It sounded very sweet but Lily did her best. Instead of butterscotch cupcakes, she used vanilla ones but made her own caramel and filled the insides of them with it. An addition of caramel sauce to her favourite (and easiest) buttercream icing and they were decorated with just a swirl of caramel sauce; they took a week of testing before she finally thought they tasted right.

The day came when it was time to give James the cupcakes in the hope of making amends; amends for what, she wasn't sure but she hoped that they helped. She was understandably nervous as she stood in the door of the office, her shaking hands clutching a cupcake box with the cakes threatening to jump out of their sections. She took a deep breath before venturing over towards where James sat hunched over his desk, sorting through reports. She placed the treats on the desk beside him. James glanced up at her with a confused look.

"I know we didn't get off to the best start but I'm hoping that you'll accept these. I only want us to be civil to one another. We are… erm." she paused in her explanation. James raised an eyebrow.

"You're allowed say the p-word" He muttered.

"Right. Partners. Erm… so yeah… enjoy." She struggled to finish her sentence and retreated to the safety of her desks before he could say another word. He watched her as she hurried away.

"Thank you." He said. He would never admit that he liked the little smile that came over her face or the blush that coloured her cheeks when he thanked her. James reached for the box, pulling out one of the cupcakes before offering one to Lily. She accepted the unspoken offer and together, they sat eating the buns, tasting the first fruits of friendship. James's moan of appreciation made her giggle but also made her glad for the month that it took to get to that moment.

And when the red velvet cupcake appeared on her desk the following week, she knew exactly where it came from. _"Maybe it's the start of something new"_ she thought as she bit into the fluffy icing and decadent base.

 **So yeah... I needed something to get their relationship civil and I found in RL, baking usually works. So, read and review!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Prompt: Leave a light on – Tom Walker**

 **I know these usually have some sense of humour but it's hard to make something on this song humorous, so I didn't. Enjoy the pain.**

James tried to clean the blood off his hands. The water continuously ran pink, filling the sink with the contaminated fluid. He scrubbed at them but the more he scrubbed, the more skin he rubbed off causing more blood to flow. Growing frustrated, he slammed his hands against the inside of the sink. He clenched the edge of the sink and dropped his head, scrunching up his face to try to stop the tears from spilling over. _Where did it all go wrong?_ It was a standard reconnaissance mission. It wasn't meant to end the way that it did. He took a deep breath and one final time, he held his hands under the cool, clear water. He watched as the red stain flowed off his hands. He shook them and finally, looked at himself in the mirror. What stared back wasn't him. It was the shell of a man who knew he had screwed up. _It was all my fault. I should have listened._ He dried his hands on the coarse paper towels, the roughness stinging the rawness of his hands. He swallowed thickly before shaking his head and moved to leave the room.

He entered the office and caught the worried look that Sirius gave. He gave Sirius a half-hearted smirk that he knew wouldn't fool him. They were brothers after all, in everything but blood. However, it would give him the knowledge to leave him alone. He didn't want to talk about it. He headed towards his desk before seeing it. The picture. The one of him and her. Happiness radiated through the photo. They smiled without a care in the world. The autumn colours and sunlight caught the brightness of her hair; the love captured in his eyes. James could feel his throat thickening again, his eyes watering. Just as quickly as he'd entered, he stormed out again and headed towards the training room.

He barrelled through the doors but instead of heading towards the equipment room, he continued into the training section of the room. He pushed a small metal button as he went past the controls. The wall opened in a miniscule section and he entered the arena. He followed the path that he knew so well until he came to a rickety old staircase. He carefully climbed the crumbling steps until he reached the top. There, an empty room with three windows lay out in front of him. He walked over to one of the windows and looked out. In front of him was a small glass panel. Through it, he could see it all; Big Ben; The London Eye; The Houses of Parliament. He climbed up on the sill and stared down at the ground from his dizzying height. The ground beckoned him. He sighed and sat down carefully on the edge of the sill, his long, lanky legs dangling over the side. He looked out at the blue sky; the white, wistful clouds scattered throughout. His thoughts took over and he struggled to keep the tears at bay. In the silence, his sniffles echoed.

After several sorrow-filled minutes, James heard a soft set of footsteps behind him. Without a noise, the shadow had climbed up on the window sill beside him and sat down. It stared out at the lovely, London sky. James refused to turn away from the view.

"How did you find me?" He asked.

"Sirius. He told me where you were." came the reply. James nodded. The silence came down in a sheet around them. The voice broke it again. "I'm not going to tell you to not blame yourself because I know it doesn't work. I'm not going to say I understand but I will say this. I want to understand if you'll let me. I know we're not really friends but I'm here if you need me." A small, pale hand covered his own larger, dried-blood speckled hand that was resting on the ledge. "You know where I live. The house on the top of the hill. If you want to talk, I'm there. Even if you just don't want to be alone, I'm there. I'll leave the porch light on. Just knock." The hand removed itself from his and a cold breeze flew over where the warm flesh was. The shadow left him alone again. He watched again as the bright blue and white was replaced by the rolling grey rain clouds. The heavens opened, and the rain battered against the pane of glass. James stared out at the drastically different view and mused over the offer. He pushed himself off the ledge and placed his feet back on solid ground. _I'm sorry._

A hammering echoed through the dark night. A shadow stumbled through the pitch black and wrenched open the front door. A blinding light shot through the house and the shadow blinked in the sudden light. James stood at the front door, drenched from the heavy rain that hadn't halted in hours. His distressed gaze met the owner of the house.

"He was twenty-two. Benji was twenty-two." He choked out, the tears finally falling down his cheeks. "And now he's dead." He pitched forward in anguish. Lily darted forward to catch him. He landed on his knees and she landed beside him. She wrapped her arms around him and pulled his head to her shoulder, his sobbing causing shudders through both their bodies.

"James" She whispered.

"I don't want to be alone" He cried. "I can't do this alone"

"I know. Come on" With surprising strength, Lily pulled him up off the floor and guided him into the house, closing the door behind her. She settled him on the sofa and sat beside him, holding him in her grasp as he cried for the lost. The winds and rain of the storm outside bashed against the walls of the house, echoing the sounds of anguish inside until finally, it settled as the last sobs gave way to sleep.

 **Two chapters in one day. I'm on a roll now. This came when the song came up as a prompt on a forum. When listening to the song, this spilled out. The part about leaving a light on gives me a sense of warmth as it's something that my Dad does when I'm baby-sitting, and it runs into the early morning hours. He may not always remember my name, but he always remembers to leave the light on! It's the fact that it's the only house lit up at that time of the morning that always hits me; it's there for me.**

 **Anyway, read and review please.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Prompt: "Hey, does this look infected to… oh. Uh… did I interrupt something?"**

 **Finally, another update. I'm sorry for the slow updates, all (and by all, I mean those four people following my story!) but life is kicking my butt at the moment so I'm struggling for inspiration. Or at least, I'm struggling for happy inspiration. Any news I get from home seems to be bad news. Because of that everything seems to be relatively depressing that is coming out of my mind, so it takes a bit more effort to keep this slightly more upbeat.**

Ever since that night, something had changed in the dynamic that was James and Lily. Yes, they still argued but they had civil conversations as well. They worked well together as a team and the missions were being completed in quick succession. James had begun to respect Lily and started opening to her while on stake-outs or stuck in the office. Their partnership in the field was more fluid and concise. They flowed perfectly together.

But at some point, those civil conversations changed to banter with a flirtatious undertone; the arguments crackled with unmistaken attraction. It appeared to be evident to all in the building except for them. They would trade barbs back and forth on a constant basis. Lily had taken to ruffling James's hair every time she passed his chair. If a friendly insult was sent, it was met with a gentle tap to the arm or chest. James had taken to watching her as she worked, her deep red hair partially hiding her face. He resisted the urge to reach over and brush it out of her eyes. He watched mesmerised on the days that she pulled it out of its tight holder, releasing to the elements. His heart stuttered any time she was slightly injured on a case or just from her own clumsiness.

It was one particular injury that pushed their feelings to the surface. They had been out attempting to infiltrate a large operation when guns had been triggered and knives had been pulled. While blocking a knife heading for her chest, Lily caught the blade of it. The sharp edge sliced through the soft skin of her palm on its retreat, drawing a fountain of blood. She winced at the pain but continued her mission, succeeding in capturing those in control.

When they arrived back at the office, her hand was pouring blood, the red-stained tissue no longer fulfilling its job. James looked worryingly at the drops of blood that tracked her path from the office doors to her desk, the pool of crimson growing on the linoleum beneath. His gaze traced back up to her face and watched as she winced at her attempt to remove the second skin.

"Lily," he called softly, waiting until she met his gaze, "would you go get that checked out in the infirmary please?" She shook her head.

"No, it's fine. It's just a little blood," she countered. James raised an eyebrow at her.

"Lily, you're creating a lake under your desk," he pointed out. She looked down.

"It's only a few drops. It's fine," she said, shrugging her shoulders. She bent down and using her injured hand, picked up the strap of her bag. When the cloth made contact, she hissed in pain. James rolled his eyes.

"Alright, that's it," he marched over to her and grabbed her arm. "Come with me." He pulled her towards the canteen.

"James, stop it," she protested. They entered the canteen and he placed in front of a table, turning her to face him. She raised her eyebrows at him.

"Either you get up yourself or I'll put you up there," he gestured towards the table. She huffed and awkwardly climbed up backwards on the table, trying to not to put pressure on her hand. James smirked and nodded at her. With a patronising pat on the head, he moved towards the First Aid kit on the wall. He pulled it down and brought it back to the table, laying it down beside Lily. He opened the box and rifled through it. Finally finding what he was looking for, James took out a bandage, and an alcohol wipe. He moved to stand between Lily's legs and grasped her bad hand in his. He opened the wipe packet with his teeth and raised it above the gash.

"I'm sorry for this," he whispered.

"For what?" Lily asked before she let out a loud gasp, the alcohol stinging the open wound. She bit her lip in pain.

"For that," he let out a dry chuckle. "All done." He put the blood-stained wipe down on the table and picked up the bandage. He wrapped it around her hand, the blood instantly colouring the off-white. Quietly he worked as Lily watched his strong hands tenderly cover her injury. The slender fingers placed a tiny bit of pressure as they tied a knot, the ends being tucked into the sections. James raised his head to tell her it was completed, his eyes contacting hers. Her dark gaze sucked all the breath out of his lungs. The room fell silent.

James and Lily stared into each other's eyes; the deep chocolate penetrating the emeralds opposite. The air grew thick and neither spoke. It hadn't come to their attention that they were still holding hands. James's thumb gently rubbed the now blood-soaked bandage covering her palm and his mouth opened for to say something.

Suddenly the door crashed open; the glass moment shattering. Sirius barged through the opening with his head bent down, his shirt lifted baring a deep, oozing gash in his side.

"Hey James, does this look infected to… oh." He looked up at the deer-like look Lily had and the frustrated look on James's face. "Uh… did I interrupt something?" His question seemed to startle Lily out of the freeze she was in.

"No, you didn't…" She glanced down at the crimson cloth and frowned. "This isn't stopping. I think I'll head down to the infirmary after all." She hopped down off the table edge with a soft smile in James's direction and slipped out past Sirius. Sirius nodded at her as she left the room before turning back to James.

"Well?" He prompted.

"Yes, you did interrupt something. And yes, it does look infected. Go get it checked out" James bit out as he began to tidy up the supplies that had scattered across the table surface.

"Sorry and thanks. I wanted to make sure I wasn't panicking." Sirius grinned sheepishly as he left. "Go get your coat, Remus. James says it's infected" He called as he left James on his own. James finished putting the stuff away and zipped up the bag.

 _It's for the best. It would never work anyway. No point in ruining a friendship._

 **Now I feel bad for these poor characters. Ah, well. We all know how this will end.**

 **Until next time, read and review!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Prompt:**

" **Oh, come on! I'm harmless!"**

" **You shot me. Twice."**

" **It was an honest mistake."**

 **This has been sitting on my computer for the last few months, waiting for the timing to be right. It is now and here it is! Enjoy.**

A relatively normal day was occurring in MI6. Sirius was sitting at his desk finishing off his paperwork from the last mission that he and Remus had been on. It was successful, but Remus still ended up in the infirmary with a damaged wrist. There was speculation that he managed to have something wrong after every mission, just for to be able to see the young nurse who worked there. There wasn't much he could have actually injured himself on and Sirius suspected Remus just bashed his hand against a wall when he thought Sirius wasn't watching. Shaking his amused thoughts out of his head, Sirius finished his last page and signed the bottom of the crisp, white piece of paper. He placed his head down on the cool wood of his desk, basking in the low, steady hum of his colleagues. And then it happened. The peace was shattered like a cricket ball through a glass window. The training doors slammed open. James stormed through the double doors, a sports bag flung over his shoulder and a murderous expression on his face. The room's chatter dropped as echoing footsteps followed his arrival.

"James, slow down. I said I was sorry." Lily pleaded through her panting breaths. Her bag was haphazardly over her shoulder and it kept swinging, bashing her stomach. She stopped to bend at the waist and placed her hands on her knees. James's expression did not change as he flung his bag onto the floor beside his desk. He folded his arms and spun to turn his murderous look on her. She straightened up under his gaze.

"I really do not want to be around you right now. Of all the people in the world, YOU…" James gestured at her "are the one that I want nowhere near me."

"Now that's a bit dramatic." Lily tilted her head at him, raising an eyebrow at his antics.

"DRAMATIC? I'm being DRAMATIC?!" James exclaimed. "You're going to get me killed"

"Oh, come on! I'm harmless!" Lily threw her hands up as she took a tentative step towards him.

"You SHOT me! TWICE!" James shouted, unconsciously.

"It was an honest mistake."

"HOW? We were the only two in the room"

"You were person-shaped, and you didn't move. I thought you were one of the targets." She moved closer, with her hands raised.

"If that is the case, why did you shoot twice? Surely, you realised that I wasn't a target after the first yelp?" He advanced on her.

"I did. I wanted to check for good measure. Plus, they were only paintballs." Lily smirked up at him. James peered down at his petite partner; the unamused look evident on his face. They now stood toe to toe as the whole room held its breath, the electricity crackling between them. The eye contact didn't break, both refusing to be the first to back down.

"Would you two ever shag already? Might reduce some of the tension around here!" Sirius's voice echoed through the silent room. Lily's eyes widened, and her cheeks turned the shade of a just ripe tomato. Her head dropped, and she quickly moved towards her desk. James bit his lip and turned towards Sirius with a raised eyebrow. Sirius shrugged his shoulders. "Someone had to say it"

The room went back to its low level of chatter as they realised that the show was over. People mingled about again. Sirius gathered up his paperwork for to deposit it in the director's cubicle for to be submitted, winking at the receptionist as he passed her. James walked back to his own desk, shaking his own head. Lily had settled herself in her comfortable, swinging desk chair and had dug out a bottle of water with a cereal bar from her bag. James sat down across from her and leaned back in his chair. He watched as she opened the bar and took a bite out of it. She paused mid-chew as she realised that she was being watched.

"What" She mumbled with her mouth full. James just shook his head and shrugged. Lily frowned at him but returned her focus to gazing around the room at the other people.

"Potter. Evans. My office now." McGonagall's commanding voice came across the spacious room from her office door. James nodded but waited until Lily had stood up before removing himself from his chair. She took a swig of water from the refillable bottle in her hand and James spotted his opportunity. He moved closer to Lily and lowered his voice.

"At least if we did shag, there's less of a chance of reproduction. One of those paintballs hit awfully low" He smirked and walked on as Lily choked on her mouthful of water.

"POTTER!" Her loud growl followed him as he entered the director's office with a self-satisfied smirk on his face. He nodded a greeting at Director McGonagall's concerned face and settled himself in one of the chairs facing her exquisite desk, waiting for his partner to get over her embarrassment and appear.

 _I win this round, Evans._

 **And the end of chapter 6. Two in one week. That's a first for me!**

 **Anyway, read and review.**

 **Until next time,**


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